States found lax on child care oversight

Washington ranks fourth best on list

By DAVID CRARY | The Associated Press • Published March 01, 2007

NEW YORK - Many states are distressingly lax in their regulation and oversight of child care centers, according to a new nationwide survey which gives its lowest marks to Idaho and Louisiana and its highest grade to the far-flung system run by the U.S. military.

Washington was ranked fourth best for child care regulation and oversight.

Among the common problems in the states are infrequent inspections, deficient safety requirements, and low hiring standards - including lack of full criminal background checks - for center employees.

"State child care standards and oversight in this nation are not protecting our children and are not preparing them for success in school," said Linda Smith, executive director of the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, which was releasing the first-of-its-kind ranking today.

She urged action by Congress and state legislatures. An estimated 12 million children under age 5 are in non-parental child care each week.

The association reviewed policies and regulations for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Defense Department, which ranked a decisive No. 1 overall and led both subcategories - one measuring standards that are in place, the second measuring how vigorously the standards are enforced.

"Standards are meaningless without oversight," Smith said. "The Defense Department has good enforcement, and that has brought their program to a much higher level."

Following the military atop the rankings were Illinois, New York, Maryland, Washington, Oklahoma, Michigan, North Dakota, Tennessee, Minnesota and Vermont.

Idaho ranked last; the next lowest scores were for Louisiana, Nebraska, Kentucky, California and Kansas.

On Monday, the Idaho House's Health and Welfare Committee voted down a bill that would have required minimum safety standards and criminal background checks for day care centers. Two committee members commented that mothers should instead stay home to care for their children.

Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, said he "cannot imagine" ever taking a child to a day care center, adding, "There is no substitute, there is absolutely no substitute for families taking care of children."

Proponents of the bill said they were stunned by the vote, in light of child deaths and injuries at some Idaho facilities, and noted that more than 70,000 Idaho children under age 5 go to day cares.

"It's ridiculous those men live in a time warp, when 60 percent of all mothers of children under 6 years of age take them someplace to be cared for," said Sylvia Chariton, who testified on behalf of the American Association of University Women of Idaho.

Criteria for the national rankings included case loads for center inspectors, frequency of inspections, health and safety requirements, background checks, staff qualifications and activities offered to children. ratings

Following are the top five and bottom five entries in the report on regulation and oversight of child care. The report is being issued today by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies.

Top five

1. Defense Department

2 (tie) Illinois; New York

4 (tie) Washington; Maryland

Bottom six

52. Idaho

51. Louisiana

50. Nebraska

49. Kentucky

47 (tie) California; Kansas

Online

http://www.naccrra.org/